Getting Fit with your Full Load

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
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Heltor Chasca
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Getting Fit with your Full Load

Post by Heltor Chasca »

In the past I've just waited till I'm on the road with all my luggage. Albeit camping tours for long weekends, as apposed to trans-continent stuff. The first couple of days can be a chore.

My circumstances are different now as I have more 'me time' as my daughters are older now and they are spending a bit more time with their mum who I'm recently separated from. I'm still doing 70% of the childcare but I often have free weekends.

I've been learning a few tips from bike tourists on YouTube and one particular channel (Bike America I think) is really enjoyable. It suggests training with your full load.

Makes sense to me. We all know the logistics of packing/unpacking and living out of small bags so that would give you 'housekeeping' practice. As far as riding with a full load that would give you the bike handling skills not associated with a light bike.

I just feel a bit weird that I'm 'just pretending' for the day/weekend so I'm bike fit for Spring and Summer.

At 40 should I just grow up and stop worrying what other people might be thinking while I'm pedalling about with my full load?...hc
ANTONISH
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Re: Getting Fit with your Full Load

Post by ANTONISH »

Makes sense to me - I always take a couple of days to adapt to riding with luggage.
I think its more the handling than the weight.
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foxyrider
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Re: Getting Fit with your Full Load

Post by foxyrider »

Before my first full on tour i loaded the bike up and went for a short hilly ride to get a feel for how it would be - useful but not essential.

What i do now is load up a couple of weeks in advance and take a short ride to somewhere i can put up the tent and do a mock 'arrive at campsite'. It lets me check i have everything (i have a checklist but nothing beats seeing everything!) and that its in the right bag!

I ride almost every day so i don't bother 'training' for a tour although i might include a few hillier rides if i'm heading to the Alps :roll:
Convention? what's that then?
Airnimal Chameleon touring, Orbit Pro hack, Orbit Photon audax, Focus Mares AX tour, Peugeot Carbon sportive, Owen Blower vintage race - all running Tulio's finest!
psmiffy
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Re: Getting Fit with your Full Load

Post by psmiffy »

Ive toured a fair few miles and over a fair few mountains - trouble is ive never been that good physically nor have I ever really manged to get to the level of fitness before a tour that is necessary - my strategy is to include a week of relative flat before I get to the tricky stuff

https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=Sh&page_id=115003&v=wu
yakdiver
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Re: Getting Fit with your Full Load

Post by yakdiver »

I went out on my trike the other day with a concrete block weighing 40lb in the trailer and went up a very steep hill to check out my gearing and of course my legs.
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DaveP
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Re: Getting Fit with your Full Load

Post by DaveP »

Heltor Chasca wrote:I just feel a bit weird that I'm 'just pretending' for the day/weekend so I'm bike fit for Spring and Summer.


You just got the wrong end of the stick!
Look: Full load training = weekend trips = happiness.
Nothing self indulgent about that - It's training innit? Sensible.... :D
Trying to retain enough fitness to grow old disgracefully... That hasn't changed!
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Heltor Chasca
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Re: Getting Fit with your Full Load

Post by Heltor Chasca »

You lot are brilliant if not mad! Concrete blocks? [emoji23] And I like the positivity DaveP.

I'm planning to tour the Netherlands in the summer so I'm going to miss out on any Alpine action. Seems a shame with all the lumps and hills that I ride on round here in Somerset/Bath/Mendips.
jaydeepee
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Re: Getting Fit with your Full Load

Post by jaydeepee »

Always good advice to do some training before a journey if you've never toured before. Increased time in the saddle is my preference and, if it's new to you, then a few practice runs with panniers should highlight any flaws in your planning.
Mark1978
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Re: Getting Fit with your Full Load

Post by Mark1978 »

The accepted way is to drag a big tyre behind you on a beach.
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Audax67
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Re: Getting Fit with your Full Load

Post by Audax67 »

I don't tour but certainly train for Audax with all the bits on the bike, as opposed to chums who train on carbon butterflies. The only disadvantage is that when you get around to the big event of the year you need new cassette, new chain, new cables, new tyres and new rims. Oh, that and watching chums go flying up hills most of the year while I trudge up behind.

I still train heavy, though.
Have we got time for another cuppa?
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Tigerbiten
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Re: Getting Fit with your Full Load

Post by Tigerbiten »

After 5 summer of touring I've learnt to change how I think.
Around home, it's normally how fast can I get around the route.
On tour, it tends to be how little energy can I expend to cover todays ride.
Even with that, week 2-3 are always the worst and after week 6 I'm touring fit.
beardy
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Re: Getting Fit with your Full Load

Post by beardy »

I dont think that I could haul concrete blocks around the countryside for training but you can build up your fitness by doing the weekly shopping by bike*, towing the kids around or riding with ice tyres.
Some get a fixed wheel bike to make life harder.

Apart from that I would imagine that going on tours is the best training for going on tours. So small weekend tours before your big tour.

* Bottled beer is quite bulky and heavy. :D
fluffybunnyuk
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Re: Getting Fit with your Full Load

Post by fluffybunnyuk »

I decided the best way for me was building it into my exercise routine by counting going loaded as a strength training day. For me this involves cycling into the surrey hills, and doing hill repeats on somewhere fun and relatively quiet like chalkpit lane. This is so when i'm completely shattered I dont have to put up with patronising road cyclists steaming past shouting "alright luv?" :evil: Its the bane of my life...
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NATURAL ANKLING
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Re: Getting Fit with your Full Load

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
Audax67 wrote:I don't tour but certainly train for Audax with all the bits on the bike, as opposed to chums who train on carbon butterflies. The only disadvantage is that when you get around to the big event of the year you need new cassette, new chain, new cables, new tyres and new rims. Oh, that and watching chums go flying up hills most of the year while I trudge up behind.

I still train heavy, though.

Just over a year ago I was fed up always working on the bike before a major ride, so I got a skip bike and ride that for training.
Its a MTB so second hand parts are a plenty at the tip :) No more expense and hard to find parts.
NA Thinks Just End 2 End Return + Bivvy - Some day Soon I hope
You'll Still Find Me At The Top Of A Hill
Please forgive the poor Grammar I blame it on my mobile and phat thinkers.
Vorpal
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Re: Getting Fit with your Full Load

Post by Vorpal »

Hauling kids around is good for training.

Touring was a breeze after 26 mile trips with 2 kids using a childback tandem and trailer, plus all the stuff the kids needed for a day out (changes of clothes, nappies, wipes, snacks...). do the shopping by bike is also good. I used to go occasionally to a shop about 13 miles away to get some things that were scarce locally. I'd load up when I went, so I didn't have to go too often. I've also hauled gardening equipment, plants back from the garden centre, and other awkward loads. Maybe you can get a utility trailer, and get to some of your jobs by bike?

Heltor Chasca wrote:
At 40 should I just grow up and stop worrying what other people might be thinking while I'm pedalling about with my full load?...hc
Yes. But if you do want something for people to laugh at, you could try concrete blocks. :wink:
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
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